Big changes are coming to Southfield Public Schools, including the merger of Southfield High School and Southfield-Lathrup High School.

The district's Board of Education approved a wide-ranging plan, called Imagine 2020, Tuesday night that will reconfigure schools in the district. Officials said the plan will improve the district financially and academically.

"This plan will save $8.5 million when all of it is implemented," Jacqueline Robinson, the district's spokeswoman, said today.

Board President Rance Williams said in a news release that the plan "charts a course for a system of schools where teachers, principals, parents, staff, policymakers and the entire ... community collectively and supportively focuses their energy, efforts and resources on building a culture of continued achievement and success."

But the board was split on the plan, voting 4-3 to approve it. The no votes came from Michael Poole, Darrell Joyce and Nathaniel Lewis. Voting yes were Williams, Yolanda Charles, Betty Robinson and Leslie Smith.

In addition to the merger of the district's two comprehensive high schools, which would be effective with the 2016-17 school year, the plan will also:

■ Freeze new hires, wage increases, most purchases and travel that isn't necessary for a grant for the 2015-16 school year, unless approved by the superintendent.

■ Move three existing schools — all of which require students to apply and take an exam in order to be admitted — to a new K-12 "university" campus that will be housed at the existing Southfield-Lathrup High campus and the Bussey Center, which now houses an early childhood center. A secondary program for students learning English will also be housed as part of the university campus. Those changes would be effective for the 2016-17 school year.

■ Close Brace-Lederle K-8 School at the end of the 2016-17 school year and sell the property.

■ Close Adler Elementary School at the end of the 2016-17 school year.

■ Sell Schoenhals Elementary School, which closed in recent years.

■ Add a preschool class to each K-5 school.

■ Create the Accelerated College Experience Early College program, where students will be able to earn both a high school diploma and a community college degree in five years. The partnership will include Oakland Community College.

The Southfield district has been struggling with declining enrollment, rising costs and less revenue.

"We want all students to succeed and for families to have numerous quality choices, as we manage the operations and resources of the district with sound decision making for the future of SPS," Superintendent Lynda Wood said.